Nearly 10 billion pounds of cheese are produced each year in the United States, and consumers may select from thousands of cheese cutting utensils and accessories. Cheese cutting accessories are sold in most kitchen and gourmet food stores, and are available at varying price points. For example, the website www.nextag.com currently lists fourteen cheese cutting devices, including handheld wires.
Wires are highly effective for cutting cheese because the wires have less surface area than knives and cut through most cheeses quickly and cleanly. However, wires are difficult to grasp with bare hands. When mounted in tools, wires may be difficult to remove or clean, and may stretch or break rendering a device inoperable.
Example of wire cheese slicers are taught by U.S. Pat. No. 1,796,212 (Nadeo '212) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,817 (Aby '817). Nadeo '212 and Aby '817 teach a food slicer that uses a high-tension wire held between two ends of a U-shaped frame or yoke. The food to be sliced is placed on the base and the yoke is pivoted downwards. As the yoke is pivoted, the wire is forced through the food item. This devices taught by Nadeo '212 and Aby '817 require the food item to be moved and repositioned as it is sliced. In addition, the devices are not easily disassembled for cleaning or replacing of the wire.
It is desirable to have a wire cheese slicer that does not require the user to repeatedly move a block of cheese (or other food item) as it is sliced.
It is further desirable to have a utensil which allows a wire to be easily grasped and manipulated.
It is further desirable to have a wire component that can easily be removed from a cheese slicing apparatus.
It is further desirable to have a wire cheese slicer that is capable of allowing a user to cut highly uniform cheese (or other food item) of desired dimensions.
It is further desirable to have a wire cheese slicer which has a wire that is capable of cutting a variety of food items.